Collapsible clothes drying rack



Aug. 30, A. C F COPE COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES DRYI NG RACK Filed April l0, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Se JNVENToR; 74 A.C.F:2ANC|5 Cope.

ArTolzuaYs ug- 30 1960 A. c. F. coPE coLLAPsIBLE: CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed April 1o, 19'59 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A C. Fra/Amos COPE ATTORNEYS COLLAPSBLE CLOTHES DRYING RACK A. C. Francis Cope, 367 Prague St., San Francisco, Calif,

Filed Apr. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 805,615

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-104) This invention relates to an improved wall-mounted collapsible clothes drying rack of the type involving a pair of ln'nged brackets having exible clothes supporting lines therebetween.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a more practical, eicient, and less expensive device of the kind which is devoid of expensive and complicated mechanical means, for maintaining its brackets in unfolded, parallel spaced relation, and for producing and maintaining a taut condition of the cords extending between the brackets when so unfolded.

A further object of the invention is to provide an uncomplicated device of the character indicated above, which is easily installed on and removed from a wall or other vertical support, and which is composed of a small number of simple and easily assembled parts, which can be provided from readily available parts and materials.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a device of the invention installed on a wall and secured in unfolded position of use;

Figure 2 is anenlarged, contracted horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged left-hand elevation of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of cord tightening means; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view, similar to Figure l, sho

ing the rack in collapsed and secured position along the wall.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device, generally designated lll, is shown as being installed on a vertical support, such as a wall l2.

The device lll comprises a pair of similar, preferably open, right triangular rack arms 14 and 16. These arms are preferably composed of open ended vertical tubular standards 18; tubular horizontal arms 2%, flattened at their ends to provide at inner and outer ears 22 and 24, respectively; and outwardly declining preferably tubular diagonal bars 26 which are attened at their ends to provide upper and lower at ears 28 and 3d, which are angled into horizontal planes. Y

The diagonal bars 26 are secured at their outer or lower ends to the outer ends of the horizontal arms Sil by means of assembling bolts 32 which extend downwardly through openings in the diagonal bar ears 28 and the ann ears 24, and through the middle of fixed at levers 34 and 36, respectively, related to the left and right hand arms 14 and 16, respectively, and located between the ears 23 and 34. The inner ears 22 and 28 of the horizontal arms 20 and the diagonal bars 26 are pivotally secured on a vertical shaft 3S which extends therethrough and through a vertical spacer tube dil, constituting the standards 18, with the related ends of which the ears 22 and 2S are engaged. rthe shaft 38 has threaded upper and lower ends 42 and da, respectively, which reach beyond the ears 22 and 28, and on which are threaded assembling nuts i6 and 4S, respectively. These nuts hold the related ears against the ends of the spacer tube 40.

The rack arms ld and 16 are mounted swingably and individually on the Wall 12 by means of similar and related pairs of upper and lower brackets 50 and 52; which are spaced from each `other horizontally along the wall at the distance corresponding to the contemplated length of the device, as determined by the spacing of the rack arms 14 and 16. The brackets comprise L-shaped forms having vertical flanges 5d which are secured, as by screws 56, to the wall l2, and horizontal ilanges 58 which are provided with vertically aligned openings 6d, through which related ones 'of the threaded shaft ends 42 and 4d are pivotally engaged, as shown in Figure 4, with the horizontal flanges 5S bearing against related nuts 46, d8.

Extending transversely and horizontally through the horizontal arms 2li of the racl` arms 14 and lo, at similarly spaced intervals therealong, are eyes 62, which are located at the facing or laterally inward sides of the arms 2li. The eyes 62, as here shown, can be in the form of eye bolts which extend through the arms 2t) and are secured by nuts 6d. A length of cord, preferably of non-stretch and otherwise suitable material, such as plastic clothesline, generally indicated at de, has an end secured to the innermost eye 62 on the left-hand rack arm 14, as indicated at 68, and is passed over to the right-hand rack arm 16 and passed forwardly through the innermost eye 62 thereon, forwardly to the next eye, then across to the next eye on the arm i4 and forwardly therethrough to the next eye, from which the cord is extended to the right-hand arm and forwardly through the next eye to and through the forwardmost or outermost eye thereon. The cord is then brought over to the left-hand arm lll and passed forwardly through the forwardmost or outermost eye thereof, the remainder of the cord is then extended forwardly or outwardly and through a loop 67 on the laterally inward end of the left-hand lever 3d and across to the right-hand arm 16, and through an eye 68 on the laterally inward end of the right-hand lever 36.

The loop 67 on the left-hand lever 3d is on one end of a double loop 7 d, on whose other end is a loop 72 which is engaged through a hole 74 in the inward end of the lever, and a hole 75 is provided in the laterally outward end of the lever 3d in which is engaged a hook 76 on the outer or forward end of a left-hand brace rod 78. The brace rod 78 extends inwardly o-r rearwardly and laterally outwardly from the left-hand rack arm 1.4i at a divergent angle, and is pivotally mounted at its rear end on the wall l2, as by means of a screw eye 80 screwed into the wall, on a level slightly above the lever 34. The engagement of the brace rod 7S with the left-hand lever 34 positions and maintains the arm 14 at right angles to the wall l2.

A similarly formed-and similarly arranged right-hand brace rod 82 is pivoted to the Wall at 84 and has on its free end a hook 86 engageable in a hole 83 in the laterally outward end of the right-hand lever 36, so as to position and hold the right-hand arm i6 parallel to the left-hand rack arm ld.

Means for tightening the cord 66 so as to provide clothes suspending lines @il in a taut condition between the rack arms ld and lo, by pulling the cord endwise relative to the innermost eye 62 on the left-hand rack arm 1d and through the various eyes 62 on the rack,

Patented Aug. 30, 1960l arms, and for relaxing the line cord 66, comprises a hook 92 which is secured on the loop 63 secured to forward or outer end of the cord 66, combined with a short cord 96. I

The short cord 96 has an inward end which is suitably secured, las indicated at 98, to the cord 66 just inwardly of the loop 68, and an outward end which is tethered to the right-hand lever 36, as by being tied through a loop 100 having thereon a hook 102 which is engageable through a hole 104 provided on the outer or right-hand end of the right-hand lever 36. As shown in Figures l and 2, ythe short cord 96 is slack when the device has been set up for use.

The purposes of the short cord 96 are to provide, in the line cord 66, the slack necessary to enable the rack arms 14 and 16 to be folded in the same direction against the support, without completely disconnecting the outer end of the cord 66 from the right-hand rack arm 16; and to provide means whereby, when the rack arms are swung out to and are locked, by the rods 7S and 82, in their operative positions, the slack remaining in the line cord 66 can be taken up and its hook 92 re-engaged in the right-hand lever 36, whereby the lines 9i) are made taut.

To fold the rack, the right-hand brace rod 82 is disengaged from the right-hand lever 36, so as to free the right-hand rack arm 16 to swing inwardly, and the hook 92 on the outer end of the cord 66 is disengaged with theA right-hand lever 36, whereat the short cord 96 serves to provide the needed slack in the cord 66 while serving as a retaining and extended connection between the cord 66 and the right-hand lever 36. The short cord 96 is limited to such a length that, as shown in Figure 6, subhv stantial and unwanted drooping of the cord 66 does not develop as the rack arms 14 and 16 are folded, in the same direction, `against the wall 12, in compact storage position. For releasably holdingr the left-hand rack ann 14, and hence, the right-hand rack arm 16 folded against the wall, a spring clip 106 is suitably secured on the wall 12, to the left of the left-hand arm 14, to be engaged by the diagonal bar thereof, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 6.

In Figure is shown suitable means for securing the inner end of the line-forming cord 66 of the innermost or rearmost eye 66 on the horizontal element 20 of the left-hand rack arm 14. This comprises an elongated plate-like link 198 having therethrough longitudinally spaced holes 110, 112, and 114. The related eye 62 is engaged through the hole 11G, while the related end 116 of the cord 66 is passed through the hole 114 and then through the middle hole 112, and tied around the link 108, as indicated at 118. This arrangement enables easily removing unwanted slack in the cord 66 which may develop in the original adjusting of the length of the cord 66 when assembling the device 14 or which may develop due to stretching of the cord 66 attending extensive use of the device.

It is obvious that clothes, not shown, can be readily hung on the lines Si) to dry while the device is in unfolded and set-up position, and that a substantial number or amount of clothing or like articles are thus accommodated by the device in a compact arrangement. It will also be observed that the device, when folded in its storage position, as shown in Figure 6, is in a fiat nonprojecting position along the wall 12 and is out of the way.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood thatthe invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a vertical support, longitudinally spaced brackets fixed on said support, first and second horizontal arms having rear ends severally pivoted on the brackets, said arms having forward ends, said arms being foldable against the support from right angular relation to the support, eyes fixed to and spaced along the facing sides of the arms, a non-stretchable line-forming cord having a first end fixed to an eye at the rear end of said first arm, said cord being extended back and forth between said amis and through related eyes so as to provide parallel clothes supporting lines, first and second `horizontal transverse levers severally pivoted intermediate their ends on the forward ends of the first and second arms, said levers having outer and inner ends, the inner end of said first lever having an eye thereon through which the cord is trained from an eye at the forward end of the first arm toward the second lever, said cord having a free second end, means connecting said second end of the cord to the inner end of the second lever, and first and second brace bars having forward ends removably engaged with the outer ends of the levers, said brace bars having rear ends pivoted to the support at points spaced longitudinally outwardly from the bracket.

2. In combination, a vertical support, longitudinally spaced brackets fixed on said support, first and second horizontal arms having rear ends severally pivoted on the brackets, said .arms having forward ends, said arms being foldable against the support from right angular relation to the support, eyes fixed to and spaced along the facing sides of the arms, a non-stretchable lineforming cord having a first end fixed to an eye at the rear end of said first arm, said cord being extended back and forth between said arms and through related eyes so as to provide parallel clothes supporting lines, first and second horizontal transverse levers severally pivoted intermediate their ends on the forward ends of the first and second arms, said levers having outer and inner ends, the inner end of said first lever having an eye thereon through which the cord is trained from an eye at the forward end of the first arm toward the second lever, said cord having a free second end, means connecting said second end of the cord to the inner endof the second lever, and first and second brace bars having forward ends removably engaged with the outer ends of the levers, said brace bars having rear ends pivoted to the support at points spaced longitudinally outwardly from the bracket, the brace bars .being releasable from the outer ends of the levers to enable the levers to pivot toward each other to slacken the cord and to permit the horizontal arms to be pivoted on the brackets into positions along the support, manual pivoting of the levers outwardly away from each other, with the arms in their right angular relation to the support serving to tighten the cord between the arms and to position the outer ends of the levers to be engaged by the forward ends of the brace bars.

3. In combination, a vertical support, longitudinally spaced brackets fixed on said support, first and second horizontal arms having rear ends severally pivoted on the brackets, said arms having forward ends, said arms being foldable against the support from right angular relation to the support, eyes fixed to and spaced along the facing sides of the arms, a non-stretchable line-forming cord having a first end fixed to an eye at the rear end of said rst arm, said cord being extended back and forth between said arms and through related eyes so as to provide parallel clothes supporting lines, first and second horizontal -transverse levers severally pivoted intermediate their ends on the forward ends of the first and second arms, said levers having outer and inner ends, the inner end of said first lever having an eye thereon through which the cord is trained from an eye at the forward end of the first arm toward the second lever, said cord having a free second end, means connecting said second end of the cord to the inner end of the second lever, and first and second brace bars having forward ends removably engaged with the outer ends of the levers, said brace bars having rear ends pivoted to the support at points spaced longitudinally outward- 1y from the bracket, the brace bars being releasable from the outer ends of the levers to enable the levers to pivot toward each `other to slacken the cord and to permit the horizontal arms to be pivoted on the brackets into positions along the support, manual pivoting of the levers outwardly away from each other, with the arms in their right angular relation to the support serving to tighten the cord between `the arms and to position the outer ends of the llevers to be engaged by the forward ends of the brace bars, said cord having a loop on its free second end, which separably connects said free second end with the inner end of the second lever, and a short slack cord having a rst end secured to the line-forming cord at a point near said loop, said `slack cord having a second end secured to the outer end of the vsecond lever, said slack cord serving to connect the free end of the line-forming cord to the second lever while the said loop is disengaged with the inner end of the second lever and providing means for tightening of the 4line-forming cord between t-he arms preliminary to engaging the loop with `the inner end of the second lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,293,953 Shoemaker Feb'. 1, 1919 1,493,264 Hennessy May 6, 1924 1,740,653 Hunneman Dec. 24, 1929 2,215,345 Bandlow Sept. 17, 1940 2,429,037 Tarnay Oct. 14, 1947 2,639,818 Wells May 26, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 374,972 Germany May 5, 1923 

